I could go on and on about this issue but will sufice to say that fines need to be insanely steep These people are stealing from you and me and destroying the resource and the experience of salmon fishing for others.
Fines in the 10's of thousands would not be excessive. I think it should hurt them badly.. All the gear they use in the days "fishing" should be confiscated and sold at auction the proceeds going to game enforcment..
Quite frankly these people deserve no consideration for leniency. They know what they are doing is illegal. I don't care what it does to their jobs their families thats something they should have thought about before thy chose to snag..